


Stepping Through

by esteefee



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: DADT Repeal, Established Relationship, M/M, SGA Saturday Prompt Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-02
Updated: 2013-12-02
Packaged: 2018-01-03 05:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1066372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esteefee/pseuds/esteefee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John sleeps over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stepping Through

**Author's Note:**

> For [SGA Saturday prompt: Week #130-132: Show](http://sga-saturday.livejournal.com/tag/week%20%23130-132%3A%20show).

Rodney's mind was a highly trained tool of incalculable processing power; only, perhaps, not so much just upon waking, which was why it took him an inordinate amount of time to realize, blinking his eyes and yawning into his bedcovers, that something fundamental was different.

Specifically, the dark-haired, fuzzy lump beside him was John. John was still here.

Rodney blinked some more; the lack of coffee made data retrieval a little problematic, but after a moment the previous day's events came back to him, and he remembered the morning's data burst and the surprise announcement that wasn't very much of one, but still heralded a change in United States military regulations. A series of tedious, top level staff meetings ensued, and then the drafting of Atlantis-wide announcements, followed by more staff meetings—all banal but utterly necessary—under Woolsey's careful eye and Sheppard's controlled expression.

There had been zero time at all for Rodney to consider how the change would affect him personally. It was bureaucracy, paperwork, plain and simple, too long in coming, and anyway, he'd long since resigned himself to never having what other people had, hadn't he?

And yet here John was, lying beside him, dark brown tufts of hair peeking above Rodney's comforter. John had spent the night instead of giving Rodney a rueful kiss goodbye and using the life signs detector by the door, then taking the next available opportunity to skulk out like a criminal. A criminal he most assuredly was not. 

A snuffling sound came from beneath the comforter, and then John's arms stretched out above his head and his face appeared, endearingly bleary-eyed before he rubbed the heels of his hands over them and gave Rodney a surprisingly sharp look, keen and a little bit wary.

"Hey," John said.

"Hey, um. Hi." 

John nodded, as if satisfied with something, and then sat up and gave Rodney a quick, glancing kiss, somewhat abashed, one hand curving over Rodney's shoulder. 

"Sorry," John said.

"What? Why are you—?"

John ducked his head and shrugged, then slid out the other side of the bed and padded off to the bathroom, leaving Rodney's question unanswered.

Evidence said whatever Sheppard felt guilty over, it was most likely either inconsequential, or world-shattering and entirely not his fault. On the rare occasions when Sheppard really did screw up badly, he usually didn't bother apologizing and tried to make amends in other ways.

So, Rodney was going with: something inconsequential. John had spent the night, which meant extricating himself without being seen would take trickier timing than usual—

Hang on just a second. There was no reason not to be seen. They could both just show themselves walking out together. _Together_. That, perhaps, was even John's intent.

Not so inconsequential after all.

Rodney got up and barged into the bathroom, where John had apparently finished his business and was occupied washing his face.

After taking a much-needed piss, Rodney joined him at the sink and nudged John aside to wash his hands. 

"So." Rodney grabbed up his toothbrush, and his next words were a little garbled. "Are you certain about this?" He peered at John in the mirror.

John's shoulders relaxed, and he smiled a little. "Yeah. I mean we don't have to make a big deal or anything, but yeah. You?"

"I'm a little worried about your career—"

John let out a snort. 

"—But if you don't mind, then I don't." Rodney spat and rinsed, then leaned a hip against the sink.

John swiped a thumb over Rodney's chin, that same smile on his face. Then he bent his head for a kiss. He tasted like Rodney's toothpaste and like morning. Rodney had never tasted John like this before. 

"C'mon," John said. "Let's get some breakfast."

So they got dressed, pants and boots, and then paused at the door. Rodney looked over at the LSD and then at John's face. John wasn't looking at the LSD; he was staring at the doorway, head set back on his shoulders as if gearing up for a mission. On impulse, Rodney moved closer until they were elbow-to-elbow, hip-to-hip.

John cocked him a grin and swiped a hand over the crystal.

They stepped through the doors.

 

_End._


End file.
